Lucknow, Oct 29 (IANS): In yet another brazen act of violence against policemen, an Uttar Pradesh police constable was shot dead late Sunday in Lakhimpur Kheri, about 130 km from here, police said.

The incident took place in a local hotel where the policeman, along with a colleague, arrived to conduct checks after receiving information that criminals were present there.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Dalbeer Singh Yadav told IANS that the police had received specific information about wanted criminals at a hotel in Sankadadevi area. When the two policemen reached the hotel, they proceeded towards three persons sitting there. The trio opened fire all of a sudden, hitting constable Umesh Kumar in the stomach.

Umesh Kumar was rushed to a trauma centre in Lucknow, where he was declared dead.

Police relayed the information on wireless, and the entire area was sealed off. One of the three assailants was spotted near the railway station and cornered. In the exchange of fire, the assailant was killed.

The two other men who had earlier opened fire at the policemen in the hotel have not been traced.

The man killed in the exchange of fire with the policemen has been identified as Sumit, a resident of Kushinagar. Police said Sumit was a known extortionist.

Saturday, Sumit had demanded money from a doctor in the city. The doctor had filed a police complaint in the matter.

Sumit is wanted in similar cases in Bahraich, Barabanki and Gorakhpur.

In the last one month, two police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were killed in crimes committed in broad daylight.